Test drive Audi TT RS Coupe, BMW M2, Porsche 718 Cayman S: windy

Audi TT RS and BMW M2 stand in front of the four-cylinder engine. Porsche cayman s

Four, five or six? In practice, the answer to this question in compact sports models has already received its answer. Here, we'll just let five- and six-cylinder engines take one last deep breath and show what they're really capable of before passing the baton to the politically correct heirs of four-cylinder engines. But what - farewell parties are often worth it. So let's enjoy the BMW M2 and Audi TT RS before we get to know the future four-cylinder and its predecessor in the Porsche 718 Cayman S.

Compressed air

Despite its modest number of combustion chambers, the 718 Cayman S engine is no ordinary mortal in the four-cylinder world - it is a boxer turbo engine, the advantages of which Subaru has long been promoting and thanks to which the Japanese have finally found another solid successor. But while the words Porsche and "boxer" have long since become buzzwords, four-cylinder units are definitely not what the mainstream consumer associates with Zuffenhausen products. Undoubtedly, the era of 924, 944 and 968 is not without fans (not to mention the beginning of the 356th), but the unique six-cylinder cars brought great fame to the Porsche brand.

There is no doubt about anything else - the voluntary technical castration is completely in the spirit of the times, and the choice of a four-cylinder machine speaks of a very good awareness of the problems and a commendable desire to solve them by a sports brand of the caliber of Porsche. High boost pressure and gigantic torque also promise serious road fun despite the small displacement. And also that the tilt drive is located low in front of the rear axle and drives only its own wheels. Central engine, low center of gravity and rear-wheel drive - this is one of the best recipes for excellent behavior on the road.

By the time you start the 718 for the first time ... The noise is eerily reminiscent of fatal rod bearing problems, and the sensation of vibration and imbalance is undeniable to those who know the design benefits of opposing pistons in terms of damping vibration and are well aware of how well boxing motors are in general. work flawlessly. And that's not all, because the real shock is for those behind the Cayman as the engine starts. Outside, the first few fires of the mixture sound like completely chaotic explosions before the four-cylinder boxer calms down and turns into a kind of rhythmic flutter.

Hello from Harley

What's interesting in this case is that the odd number of cylinders turns out to be much more talented at creating their own rhythm in working strokes than the seemingly much more promising even, with its symmetry. One-two-four-five-three… In this sequence, the evergreen five-cylinder Audi sounds, capable of igniting with its uneven strokes not only the hearts of ardent fans of Ur-Quattro. In this restless, wild mix, you can hear both Harley's sympathetic arrhythmias and some of the main rumble of a large American V8. And to make it even more fun, engineers at Quattro GmbH have come up with something more piquant for the TT RS, hinting at the similarity to the Lamborghini Hurricane. In fact, there is not only arithmetic logic here, but also geometric logic, because the crankshaft of the Italian V10 is actually driven by two in-line five-cylinder engines. Acoustically, the TT RS sounds like half a Huracán.

The answer to the question of whether six cylinders sound better than five sheds light on the fact that mathematical laws are powerless over feelings - it all depends on the preferences of the listener. Undoubtedly, however, the M2 cylinders located in the longitudinal row can safely boast of their vocal abilities. The Bavarian engineers managed to turn back the clock and incorporate into the voice of a compact athlete the voluminous notes of classic atmospheric "sixes" that we forgot about the six-cylinder in-line turbo machines of later times. The cheerful notes of the exhaust pipes successfully drown out the high-frequency inclusions of turbochargers, and the modulation has nothing to do with the monotonous bass of vacuum cleaners, which often creeps into V-shaped turbo engines with six combustion chambers. No - here the sound is brought into line with the best traditions of conventional six-cylinder engines of those times when such a design scheme was the rule, and not the exception, in the range of Bavarian engine factories.

On the other hand, the M2 gives no reason to grieve over the naturally aspirated cars. The leap in power is so spontaneous that it's tempting to doubt the Twin Scroll and suspect that there are two lightning-fast compressors behind it. The turbo is actually just one, but the intelligent control system with two separate exhaust circuits makes it work instantly. The three-liter car literally pulls out torque at low revs, demonstrates tight traction at medium revs and suffers the speed limiter with a wild cry.

On top of that, the Audi, with its launch control system and a significantly lighter model, contrasts with the startling spectacle at the start. Although the initial response of the five-cylinder engine was a little sluggish, the next moment the turbocharger starts pumping fresh air at breakneck speed, and from 4000 rpm everything becomes scary. The acceleration time from 3,7 to 0 km / h in 100 seconds can outshine much larger models, and the production dual-clutch transmission has made a significant contribution to this achievement. But its performance is no less impressive in manual mode, when driving becomes really active and the pilot can choose the most suitable of seven gears, approaching the climax of the next turn. Where a classic turbo hole sometimes awaits him ...

Several newton meters more

The variable geometry system, which supplies compressed fresh air to the combustion chambers of the Porsche Boxer, handles much more intelligently in such cases. Newbies may not find the break required to reach maximum pressure alarming, but die-hard Cayman Islands fans won't miss it. They used to rely on meticulous command execution. Applying throttle means accelerating, and pushing more throttle means more acceleration. All this at once, as is the case with the six-cylinder engine.

The previous model often used a sharp thrust with the right leg and an effective method for getting the buttocks in a good mood. As a result, she served as soon as the driver wanted. The BMW M2 is up to the task as well, despite forced charging, but with the 718 Cayman S, the figure no longer passes. There is a way out, but the reaction is stubborn at first and then unexpected. Instead, the new 718 sees itself as a highway expert and a physics-based balancer striving to perfectly synchronize the last thousandth of grip with the last remaining grip on the tarmac.

Like a professional racing car, the Cayman S fits steadily into the ideal line of the track - if it is driven precisely and skillfully. There is only one state of the road - neutral. Only one state of mind and it is emphasized - especially if you often look at the speedometer. The Boeing 718 gives a very poor indication of speed, and one can unintentionally end up on the other side of the border, where civilian traffic is heavily sanctioned.

Similar temptations lurk in the Audi model. Even on wet roads, the dual drivetrain sticks to the road, and the dynamic behavior of the lightweight TT RS gives the impression of a huge megdan – even when the megdan has become a narrow passage at the edge. Then comes the understeer. By this point, however, you'll be so fast in the wet that the 718 has long since lost traction on the front axle and the rear of the M2 has fallen into the hands of ESP.

The fact that the M2 just doesn't want to understeer makes it a true king of traction on pavement. It is up to the driver and his driving skills when and to what extent he will include the rear end in cornering - in any case, the quality of entertainment in this comparison remains unsurpassed. Long before border mode is reached, the BMW model feels very fast, and many will probably not want to up the tempo. There are still a lot of emotions.

The undulating bumps in the road give the chassis a rich interior life and feel firmly on the steering wheel. It's a fresh reminder of a time when rear-wheel drive was a problem in itself, and driving fast was like a constant exchange of shocks between the car and its tamer.

Unlike the M2, the TT RS is also available with adaptive dampers, but the test model didn't have them. The sports suspension is not for the faint of heart, vigorously toning the intervertebral discs at high speeds on the highway and generally too stiff - it makes the Audi model feel like a track car that accidentally hit civilian roads.

Almost in seventh heaven

Hardness? In fact, this quality has long been out of the sports car repertoire, because good traction and safe handling can only be expected from shock absorbers that have the desire and ability to absorb bumps. True to this philosophy, the optional adaptive chassis of the Cayman provides the driver and his companion with great comfort both on the motorway and in the city and suburbs – at least compared to the competition in this comparison. At the same time, good driving comfort can hardly be explained by the lack of an emotional connection between the driver and the car, because even in the six-cylinder version, the Cayman S offered a comfortable suspension in the list of accessories.

However, emotions now disappear somewhere between the crossbars, the steering column and the steering wheel. The feeling of oneness with the car, an inextricable connection with the road is still felt, but it is too far away to cause euphoria. The speed here has become somewhat sterile and technocratic.

Similar criticism was leveled at the predecessor TT RS, but Quattro GmbH has taken serious steps to evoke more emotion in the behavior of the top version of the compact sports coupe. And even more power – in the meantime, the Audi model surpasses even the base 911. The TT RS even allows itself to behave in a similar way, changes the load on command from the accelerator pedal, bites hard at the climax of the turn and manages to slalom the pylons 1 km / h faster than 718 and 3 km/h faster than the BMW competitor. The Audi model with dual transmission is not only about drifting.

Unlike the M2, which, thanks to the 500 Nm rear axle, can afford a lot. Traction is perfectly dosed, and the suspension is tuned to skip the last thousandth of speed at the expense of pleasure. Despite its adventurous nature, the BMW model takes day-to-day tasks seriously - there are two full-size adult seats in the rear seats, and the trunk is more than decent. The M2 also offers the richest safety equipment in this comparison, and its brakes work great despite the steel rims.

All this leads not only to victory in the final assessment of qualities, but also to doubts that the triumph is the result of points according to criteria that are somewhat alien to the sports guild. But that's not the case at all - the M2's driving pleasure earns it more points than it lost in the road dynamics section, the Bavarian delivers decent comfort with no drawbacks in terms of driving precision, and its grip is always on par, despite an obvious downside in terms of dynamics. thrust. The fact that the BMW athlete allows himself a wide frontier regime and a mischievous ass speaks more for the healthy self-confidence of M GmbH, which has decided to abandon the trend towards the frantic pursuit of time and dynamics and offer a car whose driving causes immediate emotions. and pleasure at relatively low speeds. It deserves respect!

Last but not least, the price of the M2 further increases the advantage over the Audi model. The TT RS offers better equipment, but it's more expensive, and it can't make up for the shortcomings of the stiffer suspension. On the other hand, the Ingolstadt representative enjoys its extremely emotional, old school five-cylinder engine, as well as its exceptional appetite for cornering. As for the latter, the expensive 718 marks a definite setback - its speedometer readings are more impressive than the driver's enthusiasm. Not to mention the heaviest load placed in the center of the body of the Cayman S - its four-cylinder engine.

Text: Markus Peters

Photo: Ahim Hartmann

Evaluation

1. BMW M2 – 421 points

The M2 outperforms its rivals not only in terms of driving pleasure, everyday practicality and safety equipment – ​​the price of the Bavarian model is also significantly lower.

2. Audi TT RS Coupe – 412 points

The TT RS makes an impressive emotional leap from its predecessor, its handling is more straightforward, but the sporty demeanor pays off for the excessively harsh suspension stiffness.

3. Porsche 718 Cayman S – 391 points

King of the track 718 Cayman S requires extreme precision from the pilot and at the same time leaves a strange feeling of sterility. His soul is definitely not the same after shortening two cylinders.

technical details

1.BMW M2	2. Audi TT RS Coupe	3. Porsche 718 Cayman S.
Working volume	2979 cc cm	2497 cc cm	2480 cc cm
Power	272 kW (370 hp) at 6500 rpm	257 kW (350 hp) at 6500 rpm	294 kW (400 hp) at 5850 rpm
Maximum torque	500 Nm at 1450 rpm	420 Nm at 1900 rpm	480 Nm at 1700 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	4,5 with	4,2 with	3,7 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	34,2 m	34,3 m	34,3 m
full speed	270 km / h	285 km / h	280 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	10,6 l / 100 km	10,1 l / 100 km	10,6 l / 100 km
Base Price	60 900 euro	60 944 euro	66 400 euro